Buffalo, NY

[Guest Ms. Geology]

How much do you need to live on here?

[Guest]

I just finished my undergrad at SUNY buffalo, and the cost of living here is soooo cheap for a city of Buffalo's size. The highest rents I've ever seen are a bit above $1000/month and that's for the new trendy aparment complexes downtown, other spots range from $300-$600/month for a range of sizes, locations, and building ages. Most include utilities too. Gas is fairly stable around 2-3$, the average dinner will be under 12$ at practically anywhere, there are tons of student discounts, and as a college student I managed to live very comfortably on less than 2000$ a semester (ex rent). Sales tax is awful, but other than that it is one of the least expensive cities in Western New York by far.

[Guest]

What else can you tell us about Buffalo, how is the campus and such. I have yet to do my visitation so I'm interested in what the campus and everything is like. Plenty of stuff going on, things to do? Easy to get around?

[Guest]

The South and North Campuses are about a ten to fifteen minute bus ride apart, but shuttles run back and forth constantly. North is where most of the action is unless you're going to be in the Medical School, Pharmacy or Dentistry, then you'll spend most of your time on South Campus. Both are in Amherst, a suburb outside of Buffalo, one of the safest cities in the country and equipped with major shopping strips, including Wegmans (the greatest supermarket on earth). There's movies, malls, chain restaurants and alot of neighborhoods but everything else in Buffalo, like the cultural institutions, downtown night club area and artsy neighborhoods are on the other side of the city. Without a car, you've got some long bus rides with a few transfers to get there or take the metrorail which only goes on one street and pretty much blows. If you don't care about taking a twenty minute highway commute to campus, I'd really reccommend living by Buff State off of Elmwood Ave. It's where the Albright Knox Gallery is and a host of restaurants, shops and smaller galleries and clubs. The housing is mostly Victorian homes converted into apartments, so pretty cheap a little run down, but full of character and a very lively safe neighborhood. There's alot to do in Buffalo, but you've got to do a little looking and have a car or a nice friend with one. I've had a great time and I think the University is getting better every year. The Dalai Llama will be speaking there in September- a sign of great things to come if you're open to them!

[Guest]

I am studying in SUNy Buffalo right now. Actually I come from an east Asia city, so in the beginning I really cannot get used to the contryside lifestyle here, although people here call Buffalo "city".

But now I am gradually getting used to it and starting to enjoy the peace and quiet here.

I live in a two-bed room apartment, and the rent is only $290/month plus utilities.

It only takes two hours to get to Toronto downtown, and you can enjoy very delicious food from all over the world, especially the Chinese food. In my opinion, Toronto and HongKong are the two places in the world that produce the best Chinese food!

[futureprof]

I never went to college in Buffalo... but I've lived there most of my life.

There's tons of theater, music, and art in the 'city'- and the previous posters are right, everything is dirt cheap. I particularly enjoy the Knox art gallery, the Buffalo Philharmonic orchestra, and Shea's theater. Also- you can get into almost every history museum for free on Fridays- which is sweet!

The food in particular is *amazing* and not too hard-hitting in the pocketbook. Aside from maybe NYC, there is no decent pizza anywhere outside of Buffalo- and trust me, I've looked.

Also, people get really into the Sabres (hockey team) in Buffalo- so I'd highly recommend buying a hat or something to fit in, lol.

From what I hear- UB is big enough where if you never want to leave campus... you prolly wouldn't have to (unless you were taking classes at both parts of it). However- I'd recommend exploring a bit. Buffalo may be a little economically depressed on the surface, but if you look hard enough you'll be amazed at how much fun there is to be had. BTW- I'm not much of a partier, but I've been to the bars downtown & they're very lively and ummm hoppin'?

:mrgreen:

[hegemony]

So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my application to SUNY Buffalo was already reviewed and I have been accepted to this program. Unfortunately, I've never been to New York, let alone Buffalo, so I have no idea what it is like, and would like some information about the area so I can make an informed decision in the months following. I hear the music scene is great and the cost of living is relatively reasonable, but I would like to hear this from someone with a little more experience. Thanks for any help.

[classicallynot]

I'm curious too for some insight on life in Buffalo. So far I know that they don't call them 'buffalo wings' in Buffalo, just 'wings,' that Buffalo has a unique style of pizza which is a sort of merger between NY style and Chicago style, and that the city is really close to Niagara Falls.

[anythingtwice]

I dated a guy living in Buffalo for a while; this is pieced together from my own experiences and his advice. It's one of the poorest cities in the US and there are a lot of sketchy neighbourhoods (avoid the entire East Side and lower West Side), but there are also some real gems. The areas around the university and Buffalo State College are pretty nice. Elmwood Village and Allentown are cool and artsy. Delaware Park is huge and gorgeous, it's a great place to hang out on a nice day. The Albright-Knox art gallery is near Delaware Park, I've never been but I've heard good things about it. Most amenities are in walking distance (the public transit system is spotty in some parts, but a fare is only $1.50) and there's a lot of good food near campus. Go to Amy's Place, you won't regret it. Chippewa is where everyone drinks but you shouldn't go unless you're with a big group of people. The city is also big enough that bands on tour regularly play there. I think Buffalo is what you make of it; a lot of people complain about it but it's all right.

[domanda]

can't believe there is this. yeah i lived there for a good amount of years. it's cold, bleak, empty and you can't live without a car (i did, though). the city is so wacky and stupidly violent and everything rust belt. can get very boring sometimes. university is far away from the city in the middle of nowhere, which is awful. on the up side, graduate students are kind of awesome here. bar street is sweet, closing at 4am and afterparty until who knows when. 24 hrs library (god i miss that). art scene is great. delaware park is great in the summer. indian reservation everywhere so cheap cigarettes. lots empty space so housing is cheap. not much else going on really. oh, and the entire city of buffalo minus the suburbs and a four block square mansion zone is a bad neighborhood period. people in the city aren't happy people. but you can always live in the suburbs which is all white trashes and fine. buffalo is one spicy city. i like it but i can't imagine living there ever again. that wings and pizza stuff is too much of an exaggeration (like we do say buffalo wings like everybody else and i never heard of buffalo pizza. maybe it's just that i don't eat pizza.) food variety is not bad in buffalo but not cheap.

[engguy]

don't listen to domanda. i live there now and go to suny. yes, the campus is far away, but some of my classmates don't have vehicles and even some who do prefer public transit, which is efficient and cheap if you live near a line and pay attention to schedules (the fare however is now 1.75).

there are great, safe neighborhoods inside the city. yes, it is poor, and there are occasional break-ins of apt's and cars. but by and large i feel safer here than in other cities where i've lived.

the other grads form a great community. there's always something to do, between film, art, events --- granted the music scene is not stellar. toronto is close by if you crave the big city.

i would strongly recommend you try to visit before deciding. the city may click with you or it may not. there are natives who absolutely love it here and wouldn't move for anything -- clearly the previous poster not being one of them. but i've found it to be a pleasant place to live so far.

[TonyCore]

IVE BEEN LIVING IN BUFFALO ALL MY LIFE I AM A MUSIC PRODUCER/SONG WRITER AND I HAVE TRAVELED AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THERES NO PLACE LIKE HOME... I KNOW JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE REGION AND I HAVE AN UNBIAS OPINION ON IT WITH THAT BEING SAID...

i am a 25yr old black male i currently live on the eastside of Buffalo but im one off the few residents here who happens to actually travel out of my side of town Most people stay in the city never travel to the Suburbs and Vice Versa they just form a opion of what they think or what they hear. I actually attended high school in the suburbs..The region is rather segragated but is getting better... Those who say the Eastside, Westside or Buffalo as a whole is so terrible i BEG them to show me an major city thats perfect atleast you can find a four bedroom form 400 a month...lol Buffalo is an old industrial city with very rich culture and for a country in resession Buffalo isnt doin that bad compared to what I see on the news... The eastside is home to one of the 1st colored musian clubs in the world not to mention old respite houses and Churches that were instrumental in the undergreound railroad into Canada...The West and Southsides of the city are home to some of most beauitful homes and buildings you have ever scene that were built and carved by hand. The Norhside has some of the BIGGEST MEGA MANSIONS you will ever see from the 1800 and early 1900s... Buffalo is home to the largest Telemarketing industry in the world. Buffalo plays host to several Banking and Health headquarters. We even have an rapidly growing tech industry. Buffalo is one of the top areas in education TRANSLATION if u get an degree from here u can go just about anywhere... The nightlife closes at 4am. The ChipStrip is located downtown and is one of our biggest club hubs however delaware Ave and Elmwood ave. are cathing up but u mainly only get triphop house or top 40 in those spots you may find a Hip Hop party here or there....FOOD??? Hands down one of the best places to eat no mater the time u can always find good food. Dont take my word for it just come to the annual Taste O Buffalo festival, Italian Fest, Greek fest ect. ect.... If you love the arts Buffalo is the place there countless Galleries and theaters... Catch a play downtown or a free summer concert every thursday in the square in the summer... The Buffalo Zoo has one of the Countries largest indoor Rain forest(Breath taking) We also have an beautiful waterfront thats growing every year. If u want you can take the short drive and see one of the eight wonders of the world NIAGARA FALLS now how many cities can bragg about that hell You can get any where in the region in 20mins or less... Here we love our sports franchises (BuffaloBills and Sabres).. Buffalo is not Cold all the time we have 4 seasons and i love it because you can really get fashionable in the fall and winter months. Elmwood village is where u can find Co Op and boutique shopping kinda of a Ny Ny feel... Allentown is where u find a peaceful and prideful community really Bffal is what you make it its not an "in yo face" type of city you have to venture a bit... Nothin comes easy for us Buffaloians not even respect as you can tell from previous Comments on this site...The snow thing is blown way outta proportion but when it snows it blows..lol Compare crime/poverty/Job loss rates per capital with other major cities and you tell me if we're that bad...I jus had to stand up for the place I call home.... If u need any additional info hit me at Trigreat@gmail.com or Myspace.com/coretrax

[Cimorene]

I'm leaving Buffalo to go to Providence this summer. I'm so sad to be leaving. Get an apartment in Elmwood Village or Allentown (parts of Allentown can be mildly sketchy; nowhere in EV is sketchy). You can get a 2 bdrm apartment with huge bay windows, hardwood floors, and a yard for $625 in an old Victorian house in one of the best neighborhoods in the country (as Elmwood Village is constantly rated best neighborhood to live in, in various magazines and such). Don't do the Amherst/University apartments--they're totally overpriced and Amherst is a death-town, suburban wasteland. EV is amazing--great restaurants, cool bars. The theatre scene in B.lo is particularly excellent, as is the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Bistro Europa, on Elmwood Ave near Hodge, is perhaps the best restaurant I've ever eaten at, ever, in my whole live, anywhere. It's amazing and I want to cry because I live right around the corner and I dread leaving it.

Allen St has the best bars--Hardware is nice. Coulter Bay has good beers, but a kind of frat-boy atmosphere sometimes. The Old Pink is great in a sleazy, drunken way.

It's cheap at hell to live here. In the winter, get the clear plastic insulation (you can get it at Home Depot or, even better, TruValue hardware) so your heating bill doesn't get grossly high. It will get cold in the winter, but not as cold as Boston, MA (I went to undergrad at Wellesley). It snows more here, though. Be prepared, because Buffalonians almost never shut down for snow--only when it's really, really bad. Because if we shut down every time it snowed a foot in a day, we'd miss too much school and work.

UB is a great school, but the campus is shitty for grad students. The neighborhood near South Campus, so-called University Heights, is sketchy and dangerous with lots of absentee landlords who don't care about their property, and lots of frats/frat-like houses that throw wild parties. Elmwood Village has a lot of homeowners, and a lot of old houses converted into apartments. It's nicer. It's the best place ever. Sigh. I'm sure Rhode Island will be nice, but I'm just gutted to be leaving.

My partner is from Atlanta, and is a total Buffalo-convert. He doesn't want to leave, either.

Live with someone--or two people, ideally--and your rent will drop dramatically. You can get a beautiful, huge, bad-ass 3 bedroom for as little as $800/month.

It's an excellent dog city. The dog park in LaSalle park is wonderful, on the water and really nice, especially in the summer.

I recommend Shakespeare in Delaware Park if you're here in the summer. Good theatre, fun, and nobody cares if you bring a bottle of wine and drink it in the park.

Best Pizza: Bella Pizza, in Lackawanna (kind of far for just a slice, but if you're ever in the neighborhood).

Best Pasta: Chef's, downtown, or Pino's, in Orchard Park (a suburb south of the city). Get the Spagetti Parm, it's a buffalo-favorite.

Best Wings: I like Gordon's, near Hertel.

Best patio: La Tee Da, on Allen St (Patio's in the back, only open Thursday-Sunday), or Cecilia's on Elmwood, though I find that crowd tiresome--they make amazing martinis, though.

Niagara Cafe on Niagara St has great Puerto Rican food, Custard Corner on Porter Ave (nearish the dog park) has the best ice cream EVER, Fowler's has the best chocolate, Cafe Aroma has the best coffee, Spot has the best coffee-shop atmosphere.

Trattoria Aroma (Bryant and Ashland) has the best properly Italian food--their pizza sauce is freakishly delicious. They make great cocktails, too.

If you're looking for apartments, try ArtVoice, the weekly free newspaper. Also, try driving around--lots of people put up For Rent signs in front of their property without posting ads anywhere.

Enjoy! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I love this city.

[lolacola]

On 5/30/2010 at 3:28 PM, Cimorene said:

I'm leaving Buffalo to go to Providence this summer. I'm so sad to be leaving. Get an apartment in Elmwood Village or Allentown (parts of Allentown can be mildly sketchy; nowhere in EV is sketchy). You can get a 2 bdrm apartment with huge bay windows, hardwood floors, and a yard for $625 in an old Victorian house in one of the best neighborhoods in the country (as Elmwood Village is constantly rated best neighborhood to live in, in various magazines and such). Don't do the Amherst/University apartments--they're totally overpriced and Amherst is a death-town, suburban wasteland. EV is amazing--great restaurants, cool bars. The theatre scene in B.lo is particularly excellent, as is the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Bistro Europa, on Elmwood Ave near Hodge, is perhaps the best restaurant I've ever eaten at, ever, in my whole live, anywhere. It's amazing and I want to cry because I live right around the corner and I dread leaving it.

Allen St has the best bars--Hardware is nice. Coulter Bay has good beers, but a kind of frat-boy atmosphere sometimes. The Old Pink is great in a sleazy, drunken way.

It's cheap at hell to live here. In the winter, get the clear plastic insulation (you can get it at Home Depot or, even better, TruValue hardware) so your heating bill doesn't get grossly high. It will get cold in the winter, but not as cold as Boston, MA (I went to undergrad at Wellesley). It snows more here, though. Be prepared, because Buffalonians almost never shut down for snow--only when it's really, really bad. Because if we shut down every time it snowed a foot in a day, we'd miss too much school and work.

UB is a great school, but the campus is shitty for grad students. The neighborhood near South Campus, so-called University Heights, is sketchy and dangerous with lots of absentee landlords who don't care about their property, and lots of frats/frat-like houses that throw wild parties. Elmwood Village has a lot of homeowners, and a lot of old houses converted into apartments. It's nicer. It's the best place ever. Sigh. I'm sure Rhode Island will be nice, but I'm just gutted to be leaving.

My partner is from Atlanta, and is a total Buffalo-convert. He doesn't want to leave, either.

Live with someone--or two people, ideally--and your rent will drop dramatically. You can get a beautiful, huge, bad-ass 3 bedroom for as little as $800/month.

It's an excellent dog city. The dog park in LaSalle park is wonderful, on the water and really nice, especially in the summer.

I recommend Shakespeare in Delaware Park if you're here in the summer. Good theatre, fun, and nobody cares if you bring a bottle of wine and drink it in the park.

Best Pizza: Bella Pizza, in Lackawanna (kind of far for just a slice, but if you're ever in the neighborhood).

Best Pasta: Chef's, downtown, or Pino's, in Orchard Park (a suburb south of the city). Get the Spagetti Parm, it's a buffalo-favorite.

Best Wings: I like Gordon's, near Hertel.

Best patio: La Tee Da, on Allen St (Patio's in the back, only open Thursday-Sunday), or Cecilia's on Elmwood, though I find that crowd tiresome--they make amazing martinis, though.

Niagara Cafe on Niagara St has great Puerto Rican food, Custard Corner on Porter Ave (nearish the dog park) has the best ice cream EVER, Fowler's has the best chocolate, Cafe Aroma has the best coffee, Spot has the best coffee-shop atmosphere.

Trattoria Aroma (Bryant and Ashland) has the best properly Italian food--their pizza sauce is freakishly delicious. They make great cocktails, too.

If you're looking for apartments, try ArtVoice, the weekly free newspaper. Also, try driving around--lots of people put up For Rent signs in front of their property without posting ads anywhere.

Enjoy! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I love this city.

now THIS was a very helpful post. I just found out I was accepted to SUNY Buffalo, and I have no clue about Buffalo at all. I've never been there, but somewhere in the back of my head have always wanted to move to upstate New York.

What would you say the "character" of the city is? I know that's really hard to answer, but how does Buffalo see itself, or how do you see it? (Is it liberal? arty? historic? industrial? weird? apple-pie-mom-baseball? that sort of thing)

Also, how is the music scene there?

[kittie]

Thank you, Cimorene, for all the info!

I'm moving to Buffalo in August and I'm trying to figure out where I should live.

I want to be able to walk to North Campus. Is this realistic?

The off-campus housing website for SUNY-Buffalo seems to only have apartments closer to South Campus.

I'm thinking that maybe I'll end up living near South Campus and then taking the free shuttle bus to North. Is this a good idea???

I need a place with a parking space because I'm bringing my car, but I don't plan on driving to North Campus alot.

Are there places I should avoid?

The North Campus is so freaking HUGE! Where is the gym at in that monstrosity?

Where do students go to the doctor?

I'm trying to look at the North Campus map, but all the neon colors almost give me a seizure. heh heh

One last thing. How hard is it and how long does it take to get to Toronto from Buffalo? Is by train the best way?

I'm so excited!

[origin415]

Thank you, Cimorene, for all the info!

I'm moving to Buffalo in August and I'm trying to figure out where I should live.

I want to be able to walk to North Campus. Is this realistic?

Not unless you actually live on campus. There are a couple of apartment complexes near north campus that provide shuttles, but its a sort of long walk.

The off-campus housing website for SUNY-Buffalo seems to only have apartments closer to South Campus.

I'm thinking that maybe I'll end up living near South Campus and then taking the free shuttle bus to North. Is this a good idea???I need a place with a parking space because I'm bringing my car, but I don't plan on driving to North Campus alot.

Are there places I should avoid?

When I left last year, the north/south campus bus ran 24/7, and the trip perhaps took 30-40 minutes IIRC. Probably less of a nuisance than driving and finding parking anyway. The area around south campus is a sort of sketchy student ghetto, with a real ghetto nearby.

The North Campus is so freaking HUGE! Where is the gym at in that monstrosity?

Where do students go to the doctor?

I'm trying to look at the North Campus map, but all the neon colors almost give me a seizure. heh heh

One last thing. How hard is it and how long does it take to get to Toronto from Buffalo? Is by train the best way?

I'm so excited!

There is a gym on the far east of campus, the building is called alumni arena. It is here: http://goo.gl/maps/Bjwf

There is a primary care place for students on south campus, michael hall.

It is about an hour and a half drive, so an easy day trip. I've never taken the train.

[Liz86]

I'm a Southern California native who moved to Buffalo last year. Even on the tiny stipend I receive, I've been able to live well here. I live in the Elmwood Village (in my opinion, the best place to live) and only pay $300 to share a two story house with one other person. Elmwood Village is full of cute restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. A night out is relatively inexpensive (especially compared to other larger cities). I'm considering a Masters program at UB and the main selling point is the low cost of living coupled with the liveliness/warmth of the city. I always say that Buffalo is a big city with a small town feel. I often run into people I know, but it's big enough that there are all sorts of great hidden and unexplored spots.

I don't have a car and rely on the bus, which is not something I would recommend long-term for anyone. The city is fairly spread apart (UB campus in relation to Elmwood, etc) and waiting for a bus in the snow is not a lot of fun. Living my entire life with CA weather and moving here has been quite a change. I found the cold/snow to be manageable, but lasts SO long. It's the end of March now and it's snowing outside.

[Bluebird]

I'm a Southern California native who moved to Buffalo last year. Even on the tiny stipend I receive, I've been able to live well here. I live in the Elmwood Village (in my opinion, the best place to live) and only pay $300 to share a two story house with one other person. Elmwood Village is full of cute restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. A night out is relatively inexpensive (especially compared to other larger cities). I'm considering a Masters program at UB and the main selling point is the low cost of living coupled with the liveliness/warmth of the city. I always say that Buffalo is a big city with a small town feel. I often run into people I know, but it's big enough that there are all sorts of great hidden and unexplored spots.

I don't have a car and rely on the bus, which is not something I would recommend long-term for anyone. The city is fairly spread apart (UB campus in relation to Elmwood, etc) and waiting for a bus in the snow is not a lot of fun. Living my entire life with CA weather and moving here has been quite a change. I found the cold/snow to be manageable, but lasts SO long. It's the end of March now and it's snowing outside.

I'm also from Southern California. Everything you said sounds very positive, especially the cost of living! What a huge difference from OC. Can you tell us anything that you found to be a negative aspect of living there? If I go there, I would more than likely bring my car. Also, did you go to Buffalo specifically for school?

Thank you!

[Liz86]

I'm also from Southern California. Everything you said sounds very positive, especially the cost of living! What a huge difference from OC. Can you tell us anything that you found to be a negative aspect of living there? If I go there, I would more than likely bring my car. Also, did you go to Buffalo specifically for school?

Thank you!

I moved here for a one year work position. I got into UB's Masters in Social Work program for this fall, so I will likely stay. The biggest problem I've had is the weather and how long the cold lasts! I'd recommend moving somewhere where utilities are included in rent because my heating bill was SUPER expensive this winter. There are broken down and abandoned parts of Buffalo (much of the eastside and parts of the westside) and there are really nice, "trendy" areas like Elmwood Village, Allentown, Delaware Park area, North Buffalo, etc. Just be aware that Buffalo is the third poorest big city in the US and so there are a lot of impoverished neighborhoods. It was an eye opening experience for me because I lived in Santa Barbara & Pasadena before moving here.

I think weather and poor public transportation are the two main negatives. I've really loved it here!

[kittie]

Thanks for posting, Liz86!

I'm moving to Buffalo around mid-August and I need to find a place to live sight unseen, which I've done many times before with varying outcomes.

I'm trying to research online about the different areas, but I can't seem to shake the desire to live on campus, even though it would cost almost half of my monthly budget! -$689-$750.

How did you find a place to live and a roommate? Did you use the UB off campus apartment search engine?

I have a car, but I'm worried about finding parking and the costs involved in parking on campus. I know that here at UNLV the oncampus parking is outrageous. I park in the housing area behind UNLV and walk the 10 minutes to campus.

I would rather just walk to school and only use the car for errands. Do you think that cheaper and far away is better than on campus and expensive?

I'm a phd student, so I expect to be a workaholic, but I'm worried about getting around at night in a place I don't know. Most of my classes are at night and that worries me.

For future posters, has anyone lived in an on campus apartment complex like Flickinger Court or an off campus apartment like Collegiate Village? Are they worth the cost?

Thank you!

[Bluebird]

I moved here for a one year work position. I got into UB's Masters in Social Work program for this fall, so I will likely stay. The biggest problem I've had is the weather and how long the cold lasts! I'd recommend moving somewhere where utilities are included in rent because my heating bill was SUPER expensive this winter. There are broken down and abandoned parts of Buffalo (much of the eastside and parts of the westside) and there are really nice, "trendy" areas like Elmwood Village, Allentown, Delaware Park area, North Buffalo, etc. Just be aware that Buffalo is the third poorest big city in the US and so there are a lot of impoverished neighborhoods. It was an eye opening experience for me because I lived in Santa Barbara & Pasadena before moving here.

I think weather and poor public transportation are the two main negatives. I've really loved it here!

Thanks for the information and excellent tip about utilities. I live in coastal OC, which is a bit like living in Disneyland. But I have also lived in other places like London so I'm ok with rough areas being nearby. I will be applying to UB for 2012 entry for a PhD in History of Science. I hope to make a trip out there this Fall. It seems the best way to check out the living situation, especially since I prefer to live off campus.

Can you tell us anything about recreation such as parks or outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, canoeing, etc? It's the one thing that's missing around here.

Thanks again

[entertext]

Can anyone elaborate on the better areas to live for those who don't have a car?

[MathGuy__]

Someone that went to SUNY Buffalo, please elaborate on a few things ..

Campus is expensive, yet there doesn't seem to be a cheap alternative. Allentown and Elmwood village are nicer, but they're 25 minutes away. Other places that are cheap like University Heights, are they good or terrible? And if good, how do you find a roommate?

Also, how is Collegiate Village? It is made for mainly grad students, and if you live with a few people, its $680 with everything included, which isnt bad at all.

Basically, people here are talking a lot but nobody is saying what a SUNY Buffalo Grad student should do. Maybe people can fill in something like this..

Off But Near Campus - Cheap

- Nice

Off Campus but Far - Cheap

- Nice

And, of these 4 options that you fill out, plus on campus apartments, which does everyone recommend?

Thanks!

[kyung]

Thanks for posting, Liz86!

I'm moving to Buffalo around mid-August and I need to find a place to live sight unseen, which I've done many times before with varying outcomes.

I'm trying to research online about the different areas, but I can't seem to shake the desire to live on campus, even though it would cost almost half of my monthly budget! -$689-$750.

How did you find a place to live and a roommate? Did you use the UB off campus apartment search engine?

I have a car, but I'm worried about finding parking and the costs involved in parking on campus. I know that here at UNLV the oncampus parking is outrageous. I park in the housing area behind UNLV and walk the 10 minutes to campus.

I would rather just walk to school and only use the car for errands. Do you think that cheaper and far away is better than on campus and expensive?

I'm a phd student, so I expect to be a workaholic, but I'm worried about getting around at night in a place I don't know. Most of my classes are at night and that worries me.

For future posters, has anyone lived in an on campus apartment complex like Flickinger Court or an off campus apartment like Collegiate Village? Are they worth the cost?

Thank you!

Parking permit at UB is cheap. I guess it was $25 for a semester. Don't worry about it... and sometimes it's not easy to find a space, but if your classes are at night, then I bet you can always find a good spot near the academic complex.

[jmkyle]

Just got accepted to SUNY Buffalo--so excited! So are the recommended neighborhoods still the same or have they changed much since last year? I'm looking for a decent apartment for my husband and I, preferably 2 bedroom (so we can have an office). I don't mind a bit of a commute to campus. Also...anything else I should know? Thanks so much!